Re-imagine holidays to make them happy days

What if families could choose when they take their school holidays? At a time when there are cheaper travel opportunities, or a time that coincides with their own cultural festivals and family rituals. Or, a time when they feel they need a break. Together even. Not parents taking leave at staggered times to cover the school holidays.

As a family with both parents working full time, this sounds like an idea worth exploring, but I have no idea how this would work for students. Would there be a risk they could miss out on important parts of the curriculum?

I like the idea of re-working the school week so it isn't as hectic. My ideal would be a 3 or 4 day school week and a 3-4 day weekend.

If schools were flexible enough to allow students to learn at their own pace, it would allow quick learner more time to pursue other interests or some areas more deeply. It would also free up teachers to assist those who require more help.

The non academic school experience could still be scheduled for certain days when everyone is together on campus.

I disagree with the comment about students 'unlearning' during holidays because I believe there is more to education than what's in the curriculum (or a teacher's interpretation). I also think that some learning can be quickly forgotten if it wasn't taught properly and given the opportunity to fully understand and explore the issue. So often I hear the comment about there being so much to cram into such a short period of time yet there is so much time wasted because we are trying to box many individuals to conform and perform at the same rate.

Change is happening, but it is tinkering at the edges and is a slow process.

We are holidaying this time during the school term. We will be off for three weeks in under two weeks. It wasn't feasible to go away over the Christmas period this year and the school just faffs around with the students and class placements for at least the first two to three weeks. It is a frustrating process so we will be taking advantage of that faff around process to go away, enjoy cheap rates at a virtually deserted holiday destination. Win win for us.

We usually go away during the Christmas period but it is busy, the roads packed, holiday destinations packed and prices take a hike - I am dreaming of re going on a holiday to the gold coast during off peak and re-visiting the theme parks - I bet you they will not be packed.

We usually go away during the Christmas period but it is busy, the roads packed, holiday destinations packed and prices take a hike - I am dreaming of re going on a holiday to the gold coast during off peak and re-visiting the theme parks - I bet you they will not be packed.

I live in Brisbane and have park passes so have ducked down plenty of times on weekdays. Often they are busier than normal as they have the big tour groups from Asia there throughout the week.

I like the idea of re-working the school week so it isn't as hectic. My ideal would be a 3 or 4 day school week and a 3-4 day weekend.

DS2 attends day care M & T, T & F. It works out really well as he only does two days in a row before getting a break. We used to have him attend M,T,W, and found that he was very grumpy on the Wed. He seems to cope better with the four days rather than the three in a row. I wish I could continue this next year which is FYOS.

I love the idea, although I do worry for full time working couples or singles with kids at school if there were more than a four week minimum holiday period.

At the moment we do at least have options for vacation care up to 12 years old - I worry those options might disappear.

Otherwise it's great.

I have recently started my own business and my ideal is that all staff work no more than four days per week. I am also trying to mirror the public service flexible times I've seen used where there is a core "must attend" time say 9-3 and staff are free to base there hours around their commitments so long as they do their contracted hours.

I can see why similar concepts would work well in the school system (albeit with challenges).

This sounds exactly like what my husband and I (both teachers) have been discussing as a better way to do school. Make schooł 4 days a week, reduce blocks of holidays and allow people to choose when they take them. by doing this the quality of teachîng and learning should improve as there is less opportunity for kids to unlearn things and teachers have the tme and space to develop better programs and resources. It may also reduce absenteeism particularly of kids taking time off for family holidays mid term.

We find that long holidaÿ breaks make the term timè far too intense because at the start of term you have to build back up, then there is the wind down to the next break. Tis means yoû are realistically trying tô cram quality learning into the five middle weeks of term. Add in fridaÿ afternoon itus and we always feel like we are playing catchup.

Sorrÿ for errors my ipad is playing funny buggers.

Eta realistically this is never going to happen as to be effective it would require more teachers working slightly reduced loads, so governments would never go for it. I don't see unions having a great shot at selling less holiday time either.

I like the idea of re-working the school week so it isn't as hectic. My ideal would be a 3 or 4 day school week and a 3-4 day weekend.

Every working parent's idea of hell. There'd have to be the equivalent of childcare for the working days that weren't school days.

Not necessarily. Most of the working parents I know, have flexibility with their work so can manage their hours. The balance of shorter weeks, would be to have less long blocks of school holidays so it balances out with not needing vacation care.

Anyway, my idea wasn't that everyone had to conform to the same novel hours, but that schools became flexible like many workplaces to allow for choice in school hours. So, some families could continue with the status quo. Others could choose different configurations.

If it is working for so many businesses and government departments, why wouldn't it potentially work for schools too?

I agree that a blanket approach wouldn't work but that is essentially what the current system is.

QUOTE (LucyE)

Anyway, my idea wasn't that everyone had to conform to the same novel hours, but that schools became flexible like many workplaces to allow for choice in school hours. So, some families could continue with the status quo. Others could choose different configurations.

But what happens in situations when parents can't get time off (annual leave), how do the kids get a break from school if holiday care doesn't exist anymore? As an ex-teacher, I can tell you that by the time kids get to 10 to 12 weeks of school in a row, they have had ENOUGH and need a break. So you'd still need holiday care to run somehow.

In spite of being in an almost constant state of motion while looking after the kids and trying to keep things together at home, it can seem as though parents have managed to get nothing on the to-do list done by the end of the day.

A French court may have ruled out Nutella as a baby name, but that doesn't have to stop you from taking inspiration from the supermarket (or bottle shop). See what parents in the US have chosen for their delicious little ones.